On January 25, in a landmark judgement, the US Supreme Court approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India. The court dismissed Rana’s final legal appeal against extradition. Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin played a crucial role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Rana, 64, is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, the US. India requested his extradition for his involvement in the attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The 60-hour terrorist attack horror targeted multiple locations across Mumbai, including iconic landmarks, such as the Taj Hotel and Railway Station.
The US government supported India’s extradition request. In December 2024, US Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar urged the Supreme Court to deny Rana’s petition, stating he was not entitled to relief from extradition. The Supreme Court denied the petition on January 21, marking the end of Rana’s legal efforts to avoid being sent to India.
Rana had previously lost appeals in lower courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco. The Ninth Circuit ruled that the India-US Extradition Treaty allows Rana’s extradition.
India has accused Rana of being connected to David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist and one of the key conspirators behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Prosecutors say that Rana had assisted Headley, who had scouted locations for the attacks. Rana claimed that he was tried and acquitted in a US federal court in Chicago for charges related to the same case. However, Prelogar pointed out that forgery charges linked to a false statement made in an application to India’s Reserve Bank were not among the US cases.
Also Read: US Court’s Landmark Decision: Pak-Origin 26/11 Terror Suspect Extraditable to India
With this decision, Rana will now face trial in India, where authorities aim to hold him accountable for his role in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country’s history, which is sadly known as 26/11.
The extradition of Rana is a big diplomatic and legal win for India. The recent upgradation of ties with the US is benefiting India and this may be seen as one of the achievements of the Modi government, which was able to bring the terrorists of foreign origin who horrified India in 2008.
